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On a sunny Thursday evening, a group of 30 Portola Valley and Ladera residents met for a hike at Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto. The band of locals is part of a group called PV Walks, founded by community member Konstantin Guericke in 2023.
The walking group has gained over 200 members and has become a space where new and established residents can connect. Guericke, who co-founded LinkedIn, is in the process of building a house in Portola Valley and said he wasn’t having any luck in his search for community resources within the town.
“The average residents are a valuable resource for new residents to connect with, but it doesn’t happen very naturally,” said Guericke, who noticed that it can be difficult to become integrated into the Portola Valley community.
Wanting to create an opportunity for socializing in a town where its spread-out properties can make it hard to wave over the fence to greet your neighbors, Guericke went on PV Forum, the town’s private social media platform. He pitched the idea of a walking group, thinking that walking was probably the largest shared activity among the community.
About 15 people joined the first walk, he recalls.
Since then, PV Walks has quickly grown and now has six volunteer hosts who organize monthly walks every first Wednesday morning and third Thursday evening.
A PV Walks participant chats with other members while pausing during a hike in Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto on April 16, 2026. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
PV Walks members hike the Meadowlark Trail in Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto on April 16, 2026. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
PV Walks members approach the end of their hike in Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto on April 16, 2026. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Joey Doernberg hikes the Woodland Star Trail in Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto with other members of PV Walks on April 16, 2026. Photo by Magali Gauthier.
Guericke said the community walks have drawn a diverse group of people with different political views, ethnic backgrounds, ages and gender. The walks along the many trails that connect to Portola Valley create a space where people can bond over their love for hiking and the outdoors, regardless of their differences.
The Almanac recently joined a Thursday walk hosted by PV Walks’ Connie Qiu, who moved to Ladera a year and a half ago. She’s been actively involved in doing outreach to the Asian community in Portola Valley by creating group chats on apps like WeChat and WhatsApp.
“This community has given me a lot,” said Qiu. “I wanted to contribute back and get people to know each other, connect and bring more people in.”
She added that as people attend more walks, they grow closer together and catch up on each other’s lives. “It’s a really good feeling,” Qiu said.
The group will also occasionally end their walk with a dinner at Alpine Inn to continue their conversations.
“As humans, we’re social animals and we have our family, but we still enjoy being part of something a little bit bigger,” said Guericke. “I think that’s a natural thing, and it just adds a dimension to our life that we don’t have if we just hang out with the same two or three people all the time.”
Joey Doernberg, a Portola Valley resident of 16 years, said after moving to the area, he quickly learned how friendly the community was and that people are always willing to help. Through PV Walks, he’s been able to talk to people about shared challenges and exchange advice and suggestions. Doernberg even had the opportunity to chat about the housing element with state Sen. Josh Becker, who joined one of their walks.
Toby Freedman has lived in town for 20 years and joined PV Walks after her husband died. She joined three years ago and became a host, organizing hikes for the group. Freedman said she is always thinking of new places to take members and will map out and test the hikes before planning it for the group.
Guericke said while the group was originally intended to create ties between new and old residents, some people have joined in search of community after a spouse dies or becomes physically incapable of going on walks anymore.
Goldie Liu recently moved to Portola Valley and was excited to learn about nearby trail routes. Since joining PV Walks, she’s gotten to know people in town and frequently sees familiar faces from past hikes at local stores.
Liu said the group has been a resource for her and her family as they familiarize themselves with the town. By talking to established residents, she’s learned about upcoming town events and gained tips on living in Portola Valley such as how to deter rodents from your property.
Living in an area where there are wildfire risks and evacuation concerns during emergencies, Guericke emphasized how “communities become more resilient in case of disasters.” When l people know their neighbors and community members on a more personal level, they have more of an incentive to help each other, he added.
PV Walks has been recognized by the town as a resource for new residents on its website and while the original intent was to connect new residents, it’s evolved into a space that encourages human interaction and community building.
“It’s nice to see different people come together because I think our society is struggling with that,” said Guericke. “A home isn’t just a house. The home is very much about your neighbors and your surrounding community.”
